Exponents and Order of Operations

Front

What is the order of operations in mathematics?

Back

The order of operations is a set of rules that determines the sequence in which calculations are performed. The acronym PEMDAS helps remember the order: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right).

Front

What does an exponent represent?

Back

An exponent indicates how many times a number (the base) is multiplied by itself. For example, in 2^3, 2 is the base and 3 is the exponent, meaning 2 is multiplied by itself 3 times: 2 × 2 × 2 = 8.

Front

What is anything raised to the power of zero?

Back

Anything raised to the power of zero is always equal to 1, except for 0^0 which is considered indeterminate.

Front

Calculate: 5 + 3 × 4 – 2 = ?

Back

The answer is 15. (Follow the order of operations: 3 × 4 = 12, then 5 + 12 - 2 = 15.)

Front

What is the value of 4^2?

Back

4^2 equals 16, because 4 multiplied by itself (4 × 4) is 16.

Front

What is the first step in solving the expression (3 + 5) × 2?

Back

The first step is to solve the expression inside the parentheses: 3 + 5 = 8.

Front

What is the result of 10 ÷ 2 + 3 × 4?

Back

The answer is 16. (Follow the order of operations: 10 ÷ 2 = 5, then 3 × 4 = 12, and finally 5 + 12 = 17.)

Front

What does the term 'base' refer to in exponents?

Back

The base is the number that is being multiplied in an exponent. For example, in 3^4, 3 is the base.

Front

What is the value of 2^5?

Back

2^5 equals 32, because 2 multiplied by itself 5 times is 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32.

Front

What is the second step in solving the expression 6 + 2 × (3 + 1)?

Back

The second step is to perform the multiplication: 2 × 4 = 8, after solving the parentheses.